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Plant–plant interactions influence developmental phase transitions, grain productivity and root system architecture in Arabidopsis via auxin and PFT1/MED25 signalling
Author(s) -
MuñozParra Edith,
PelagioFlores Ramón,
RayaGonzález Javier,
SalmerónBarrera Guadalupe,
RuizHerrera León Francisco,
ValenciaCantero Eduardo,
LópezBucio José
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/pce.12993
Subject(s) - auxin , biology , arabidopsis , root hair , lateral root , arabidopsis thaliana , botany , microbiology and biotechnology , population , plant physiology , gene , genetics , mutant , demography , sociology
Transcriptional regulation of gene expression influences plant growth, environmental interactions and plant–plant communication. Here, we report that population density is a key factor for plant productivity and a major root architectural determinant in Arabidopsis thaliana . When grown in soil at varied densities from 1 to 32 plants, high number of individuals decreased stem growth and accelerated senescence, which negatively correlated with total plant biomass and seed production at the completion of the life cycle. Root morphogenesis was also a major trait modulated by plant density, because an increasing number of individuals grown in vitro showed repression of primary root growth, lateral root formation and root hair development while affecting auxin‐regulated gene expression and the levels of auxin transporters PIN1 and PIN2. We also found that mutation of the Mediator complex subunit PFT1/MED25 renders plants insensitive to high density‐modulated root traits. Our results suggest that plant density is critical for phase transitions, productivity and root system architecture and reveal a role of Mediator in self‐plant recognition.